cat heading team resources

team resources permission statements icon

Statements Written by David Hanson

Professionalism in the field of paranormal investigating is a bit of an oxymoron because we’re not really professionals. We’re amateurs, even if we get paid for it and publish books about it. Those who bring expertise to the field do so usually by way of other professions, and even those who tout being pros on TV are primarily reality television professionals or actors outright. Because of our amateur status, then, we’re all actors of a sort....

Team_Resources--Statements_of_Permission.pdf

We behave in what we think is the manner of a professional, because professional mannerisms and manners leave a good impression on anyone watching—not all of whom, we presume, are alive. And this is where it can get uncomfortable. In fact, the majority of the ghost seeking community shares a common concern about the moral and spiritual consequences of making contact with the dead.

A complex question arises as to whether spirits are a civil class of individuals, as culturally diverse dead as they were alive, who are entitled to rights. Are we proselytizing our beliefs when we presume spirits are lost and need to be crossed-over? Do we violate their sanctity of place and their dignity as non-living persons when we intrude upon their spaces? It’s not as far-fetched as it may sound; there is, after all, legal precedent for it. In many states, realtors are required by law to disclose one or more deaths on the premises, as well as claims of haunting, before closing escrow. Furthermore, land developers typically conduct cultural resources surveys to avoid violating sacred or historically significant sites—nearly identical concerns to ours.

Another question often raised is whether we put ourselves at risk by engaging unseen “energies” in an investigation. Do we make ourselves vulnerable to spiritual violation and undetected attachments? Do we imperil ourselves, like mail carriers stumbling across territorial dogs, or even unwittingly invite spirits, like feral, wandering puppies, to follow us home? Could we even fall under the spiritual, emotional, or psychological influence of what we can’t perceive with our own senses?

It’s for these reasons that conscientious ghost seekers declare their intentions before starting any sort of vigil or investigation. You’re free, of course, to think of these as prayers, incantations, invocations, preambles and valedictions—whatever you like. The gist of it is, they are statements of permission: polite requests and invitations to participate, as well as delineations of boundaries. Ultimately, statements of permission may not have any practical effect, or even be necessary, but, like insurance, they provide many with a peace of mind and a sense of “coverage”—just in case.

So be it, so it is.


Credit for the language and content of the following statements of permission belong to PPI investigator and Co-Director of San Diego Ghost and Paranormal Meet-up, Dave Hanson. David Hanson serves as an historian and curator for the U.S.S. Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum here is San Diego.

Salutatory Statement

Valedictory Statement

Hello. We send this message out to the spirits and other souls that occupy this place. We ask your permission to enter, and we want you to know that we have come as friends for this sole purpose of meeting with you tonight. We come here with respect for this place and for its inhabitants, and we mean you no harm. We are here to seek communication with the positive energies inhabiting this place. We wish to now who you are, and to understand why you are here. We will respect and listen to your wishes, and ask that you do the same for us. We ask, if you desire to communicate through our senses, including our psychic abilities, that you do so without inflicting physical, emotional, or spiritual harm. We have brought equipment that you can use to show us your presence, and to communicate with us, without causing harm to us. We are here for only a few hours, and we ask for your patience and cooperation while we try to make contact with you. We will try to assist anyone who occupies this place for the greater good of all concerned.

So be it, so it is!

At this time, we would like to thank the spirits and energies that have communicated with us and allowed us to access this place in peace and harmony.

Remember that you can leave here at any time, or you may stay as you are. It is your choice.
As we respect your right to be where you want to be, we ask that you respect us by not attaching your energy to our energy fields, nor attempt to accompany us as we leave this place. According to Universal law, you are not allowed to follow us home if we do not want you to, and we state that you may not come with us.

Once again, our intention was to learn, to communicate, and to harm no one. We thank you for your help and patience in our research, and we bid you farewell as we leave this place.

May you be at peace.

So be it, so it is.






 

 Please use the link at the top of this page to open and download the form.